WITH-PROFIT ANNUITIES

Transcription

1 WITH-PROFIT ANNUITIES BONUS DECLARATION 2014

2 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2. SUMMARY OF BONUS DECLARATION 3 3. ECONOMIC OVERVIEW 5 4. WITH-PROFIT ANNUITY OVERVIEW 7 5. INVESTMENTS 9 6. EXPECTED LONG-TERM RETURNS FUNDING LEVEL GLOSSARY FURTHER INFORMATION 14 PAGE 2

3 1. INTRODUCTION Following the letter sent to pensioners informing them of the annual increases for Sanlam s with-profit annuities, this document aims to illuminate the various factors taken into consideration in the declaration of the increases. Sanlam s with-profit annuities include Bonus Pensions and Quantum Pensions in which pensioners are invested. The aim with bonus declarations is to declare as high a bonus as possible, without risking the future financial stability and security of the with-profit annuity portfolio (this would jeopardise future bonuses), also taking Sanlam s smoothing policy into account. This document is not restricted to providing an overview of the with-profit annuity portfolio and background information to the bonuses being declared - general information is also provided regarding the operation of withprofit annuities. 2. SUMMARY OF BONUS DECLARATION Long-term expected returns With the increase in yields on long dated government bonds, the net long-term rate of return rose from 6.7% p.a. (at 31 December 2012) to 8.1% p.a. (at 31 December 2013). Funding level The with-profit annuity portfolio was fully funded on 31 December Bonus declared At a funding level of 100%, the product can afford to declare a bonus equal to the long-term expected return of 8.1% - since the funding level was over 100% a higher bonus could be afforded. Sanlam s board of directors declared a bonus of 12% to be used in the calculation of Bonus Pension increases occurring from 1 March 2014 to 28 February 2015 and Quantum Pension increases occurring from 1 May 2014 to 30 April Increases in pension The increase in your pension depends on the purchase rate at which your Retirement Fund trustees chose to purchase your pension. It is calculated according to the following formula: Pension increase percentage = 1 bonus rate purchase rate PAGE 3

4 For your convenience, the following table lists the resultant increases for various purchase rates. Purchase rate Increase 3.00% 8.70% 3.50% 8.20% 4.00% 7.70% 4.20% 7.50% 4.50% 7.20% 5.00% 6.70% 5.50% 6.20% 6.00% 5.70% 6.50% 5.20% 7.00% 4.70% 7.50% 4.20% 8.00% 3.70% PAGE 4

5 3. ECONOMIC OVERVIEW General economic conditions Domestic demand growth was constrained through Households faced a more challenging environment in 2013 and consumption spending slowed. Even so, households, on aggregate, did not capitulate. Individuals continued to deleverage. Accordingly, the household debt ratio has declined to 75.5% of personal disposable income in the third quarter of 2013 from a peak of 83.0% in first quarter of 2009 and households savings improved from -1.2% of personal disposable income in 2008 to - 0.1% in the second quarter of Net wealth (financial plus real assets adjusted for the outstanding level of debt) increased from its recent low of 298.7% of personal disposable income in the fourth quarter of 2011, to 327.5% of personal disposable income in third quarter of Meanwhile, the annual advance in insolvencies remained tepid. Moreover, real income and employment growth remained positive, albeit relatively soft. Still, available evidence suggests specific household income groups came under stress through the year. Amidst the slowdown in household spending growth, corporate profits growth, measured from a national accounts perspective, softened. Total gross operating surplus increased by just 6.3%yr (current prices) in third quarter of In large part this reflects weak outcomes for mining and manufacturing. At the same time, amidst weak productivity growth and a robust advance in unit labour costs, total net operating surplus for South African companies declined by 1.1% in the year to the second quarter of 2013 (updated data is not yet available for the third quarter of 2013). Accordingly business confidence remained low. An inadequate return on capital constrained private sector fixed investment. Indeed, real private sector fixed investment spending advanced at a modest 2.6% annualized in the third quarter of Concomitantly, modest income growth abroad, notably in Europe constrained South Africa s real export performance, so that the current account deficit remained wide (-6.8% of GDP in the third quarter of 2013) despite the sharp fall in the real value of the Rand. Overall, total real GDP is estimated to have advanced by just 1.9% in At just 12.7% of GDP in the third quarter of 2013, South Africa s low level of domestic savings was insufficient to fund the country s investment needs. This left the economy vulnerable to waning global capital inflows as illustrated by the sharp depreciation of the Rand deep into undervalued territory since May 2013 when the US Federal Reserve announced its intention to taper its asset purchase programme. South Africa is one of five emerging market countries (known as the fragile five ) that are considered vulnerable to monetary policy normalisation in the US due to their twin deficits (that is government budget deficits reflected in negative current account balances). Accordingly, the South African Rand, Turkish Lira, Brazilian Real, Indonesian Rupiah and Indian Rupee all sold off in the aftermath of the US Federal Reserve s announcement in May last year that it intended to taper its asset purchase programme. That said, however, the branding of South Africa as one of the fragile five emerging markets in 2013 was simplistic and unfortunate. Although all these countries ran twin deficits during the year, there are important differences between them. Whereas Indonesia, Brazil and Turkey recorded strong credit booms in the aftermath PAGE 5

6 of the global recession, the advance in private sector credit extension in South Africa has been tepid. In India, Indonesia and Turkey inflation has been elevated, whereas, inflation in South Africa is remained within the Reserve Bank s inflation target band (although a temporary breach is expected over the next year or so). Specifically, the annual advance in headline consumer price inflation slowed from 6.0% in September 2013 to 5.4% by December, while core inflation remained unchanged at 5.4% for the three months to November 2013, before slowing to 5.3% in December Even though the undervalued Rand remained in inflationary territory, a defining feature of the environment was the relatively subdued response of domestic prices to the marked depreciation of the currency, although new vehicle prices were an exception. This allowed the Reserve Bank to leave its repo rate unchanged at 5.0 per cent per annum throughout the year. PAGE 6

7 4. WITH-PROFIT ANNUITY OVERVIEW What is a with-profit annuity? Sanlam has two with-profit annuity products, namely Bonus Pensions and Quantum Pensions. With-profit annuities enable pensioners to share in the surpluses or deficits (explanation follows) made on the underlying annuity portfolio by way of annual increases to their pensions (deficits would therefore imply no or low increases). These surpluses/deficits are mainly based on investment returns (but also include surpluses and deficits arising from the mortality experience). With-profit annuities may be bought at various purchase rates (explained below). Only net investment returns in excess of the purchase rate leads to surpluses, which are then available to provide increases in pensions. For example, the net return (gross returns less fees) is 7% and the purchase rate is 5%. After applying the increase formula on page 4, only about 1.9%, will be available for increases to pensions. Pension increases are not constant and can vary from year to year. This depends on investment performance (both past and future expectations), mortality experience and the smoothing methodology applied by Sanlam. What is meant by a purchase rate? Understanding the concept of a purchase rate is central to understanding how with-profit annuities work. The purchase rate of your pension was chosen by your Retirement Fund Trustees. The purchase price concept is explained in a series of examples. Please note that these examples are simplified for ease of understanding (for instance, they ignore the impact of smoothing and mortality experience). 0% purchase rate: Consider a 65-year-old retiree who purchases a with-profit annuity of R100 a year. Let s assume that he is expected to live another 20 years. A total purchase price of R2 000 (R100 x 20) may be charged to cover the future pension payments. This R2 000 is invested, and any future investment return is available to finance pension increases (the purchase price covers the basic pension payments). In this example, the full future investment return (it is decreased by 0%) is available to finance pension increases, so it is defined as a 0% purchase rate annuity. For example, if future net investment returns were 7% p.a., the full 7% (7% - 0%) is available to increase future pensions. 3% purchase rate: As in the above example, the retiree has R2 000 to spend on a with-profit annuity but he prefers a higher initial pension (greater than R100) in exchange for lower future pension increases. He is willing to accept 3% p.a. lower future pension increases in exchange for a higher initial pension. As only future investment returns in excess of 3% are used to finance future pension increases, it is defined as a 3% purchase rate annuity. For example, if future net investment returns were 7% p.a., then, after applying the pension increase formula, only 3.9% of it is available to increase future pensions. PAGE 7

8 5% purchase rate: Again, the retiree has R2 000 to spend on a with-profit annuity. The retiree wants an initial pension that is even higher than that purchased at a 3% purchase rate, in exchange for even lower future pension increases. He is willing to accept 5% p.a. lower future pension increases in exchange for a higher initial pension. As only future investment returns in excess of 5% are used to finance future pension increases, it is defined as a 5% purchase rate annuity. For example, if future net investment returns were 7% p.a., then, after applying the pension increase formula, only 1.9% of it is available to increase future pensions. What is a surplus or deficit? A surplus refers to money that becomes available to finance pension increases. The major source of surpluses is the investment return earned on the portfolio. If the investment return earned is greater than the purchase rate then there is a surplus of assets that are available to finance pension increases. A deficit refers to a shortfall in the money becoming available to finance pension increases. The major source of deficits is the investment return earned on the portfolio. If the investment return earned is less than the purchase rate then there is a deficit of assets that are available to finance pension increases and this will translate into lower, or no increases. Mortality experience also leads to surpluses and deficits. For instance, if fewer pensioners die than expected, then there are more pensions that need to be paid out which leads to a deficit. Alternatively, if more pensioners die than expected, then fewer pensions need to be paid out, resulting in a surplus of assets to be shared amongst surviving pensioners (in the form of higher increases). Note that the full impact of surpluses and deficits isn t always immediately seen in the form of higher or lower increases, as Sanlam s policy is to smooth out their impact over time. What is guaranteed? Sanlam guarantees to pay the current level of pension for the rest of the pensioner s life. Therefore the current level of pension will not be reduced during the lifetime of the pensioner. Sanlam provides no guarantee of future increases. However, once the pension has been increased, Sanlam guarantees that the pension will not reduce from the new level. PAGE 8

9 5. INVESTMENTS Investment strategy: 2013 Over 2013, there were two separate sub portfolios of assets in which the with-profit annuity portfolio is invested: A matched sub portfolio of assets An active sub portfolio of assets The matched sub portfolio of assets was invested so as to meet a portion of the guaranteed pensions. These assets were invested mainly in long-term interest-bearing bonds, enabling Sanlam to guarantee that pensions will not be decreased throughout the lifetime of pensioners. The active sub portfolio of assets attempted to outperform a fixed benchmark and will be used to finance future bonuses. These assets were invested mainly in equities. With-Profit Annuity Asset Allocation 31/12/2013 International Assets 9% Cash 13% Equity 26% Bonds 46% Property 6% 2013 Investment Performance The with-profit annuity portfolio gave a gross return of 12.4% in The matched portion of the Portfolio achieved a return of 3.1%. The active portfolio achieved a return of 22.3%. The objective of the active portion of the Portfolio is to take on slightly more risk in order to achieve a level of return in excess of the guaranteed obligations to clients. The total 2013 investment return, net of fees, was 11.3%. PAGE 9

10 6. EXPECTED LONG-TERM RETURNS What is the gross LTRR? The gross LTRR (the gross long-term rate of return) is Sanlam s best estimate of future investment returns on the portfolio. The gross LTRR is derived from the current 9-year yield in the South African fixed interest market for government bonds, using assumptions for the relative returns of other asset classes: Asset class Expected return 1 Cash Bonds - 1% Bonds 9-year yield on government bonds Hedged Equities Bonds - 3% Property Bonds + 1% Equities Bonds + 3.5% Offshore Bonds + 3.5% What is the net LTRR? The net LTRR is equal to the gross LTRR less the fees charged by Sanlam. It provides the best indication of the level of future investment returns that will be available to improve the funding level and declare bonuses. The annual fees which Sanlam charges are: Guarantee fee of 0.675% p.a. Management fee of 0.425% p.a. As at 31 December 2013, the net LTRR for the with-profit annuity portfolio was 8.1% p.a. Note 1 These are only the central assumptions of a distribution of probable outcomes. It is highly unlikely that future returns will unfold in such an ordered fashion. PAGE 10

11 7. FUNDING LEVEL What is the funding level? The funding level gives an indication of the financial soundness of the with-profit annuity portfolio. Importantly, the funding level has an impact on the bonus which is declared. Funding level More than 100% Meaning The value of the assets is sufficient to declare a bonus in excess of the net LTRR. 100% The value of the assets is sufficient to declare a bonus equal to the net LTRR. Less than 100% The value of the assets is insufficient to declare a bonus equal to the net LTRR. In technical terms, the funding level is defined as the total value of the assets divided by the present value of future pensions (assuming that future bonuses equal the net LTRR). What factors affect the funding level? Anything that affects the value of the assets or the expected future stream of pension payments will affect the funding level: The value of the assets increase if there is a positive investment return and decreases if there is a negative investment return. However, funding level increases or decreases depend, inter alia, on the investment return achieved relative to the investment return expected (the LTRR). The assumed net LTRR affects the expected future pension increases (see previous table). If fewer pensioners than expected die, then pensions are payable to more people than expected (if more pensioners than expected die then the opposite is true). This may further result in the life expectancy assumptions for pensioners being revised upwards, meaning pensions are expected to be paid out over a longer period. Investment returns earned that are not immediately used to declare bonuses will improve the funding level. Bonuses declared in excess of earned investment returns will reduce the funding level. PAGE 11

12 8. GLOSSARY Annuity Purchase Rate An agreement by an insurer to pay a sum of money on a regular basis for a number of years. The purchase rate represents the minimum smoothed return that the portfolio underlying Bonus- and Quantum Pensions has to achieve, to continue paying the current level of pension. The higher the purchase rate selected, the higher the starting income, but the lower the expected increase each year. The lower the purchase rate selected, the lower the starting income, but the higher the expected increase each year. Actuary Bonus (of With Profit Annuity) CPI Inflation Insurer / insurance company Joint and survivorship annuity A specialist, usually employed by insurance companies, who is trained in mathematics, statistics and accounting. The actuary is responsible for various calculations used in the development of insurance products. Pension increase. This stands for Consumer Price Index and is a calculation for determining inflation. The process of steadily rising prices resulting in the diminishing purchasing power of money. Usually a company which agrees to pay an amount or amounts of money should an event take place which is specified in the agreement. An annuity which is payable to the named beneficiaries (for instance, a husband and wife) during the period of their joint lives which will continue to the survivor when the first beneficiary dies. Mortality experience Real return Return (investment return) The number of deaths in a group of people, usually expressed as deaths per thousand. It can be the rate for the total population, or it can be refined by factors such as age groupings or causes of death. These figures help the actuaries of an insurance company to do the necessary calculations when a product of insurance is developed. The return above inflation. For example, if inflation is 4% and the return is 7%, the real return will be 3%. The money which has been made from an investment. Investment return can consist of interest or dividends paid to the investor of the money. PAGE 12

13 Smoothing principle In terms of the smoothing principle, pension increases are adjusted by the insurer so that, in years of poor market performance, higher pension increases than actual returns can be declared. In years of good market performance, increases are lower than actual returns. In this way, pension increases tend not to vary much so that clients are protected from extreme ups and downs of the market. Smoothing is an important mechanism for reducing volatility in investment returns. Trustee With-profit annuities A person appointed to manage the property or money of another, or of a group of persons. These annuities enable pensioners to share in the profits made on the underlying investment portfolio by way of annual increases ( bonuses ) to their pensions. PAGE 13

14 9. FURTHER INFORMATION Visit our website: Write to us: SEB: Pensions, PO Box 1, Sanlamhof, South Africa, 7532 Call us: us: Legal and Compliance: Any queries regarding legal compliance issues should be made in writing and addressed to: The Compliance Officer, Sanlam Employee Benefits, PO Box 1, Sanlamhof, 7532, South Africa PAGE 14